Places and People

Creeks and Rivers

When Charles Sturt and his party came across a large body of water near Windorah in 1845 the explorer named the waterway Coopers Creek. Though it was certainly the size of a river, he said, “I would gladly have laid this creek down as a river, but as it had no current, I did not feel myself justified in doing so.” It had no current. This statement got me thinking about creeks and rivers.

Rivers and creeks both have an initial source, but how they behave makes all the difference as to what they are called. According to Sturt, a river must have a current, whereas a creek does not. Rivers have a current that is free flowing and noticeable, whereas creeks can be still or perhaps just a trickle.

I wondered what it would be like to be a river. Metaphorically speaking of course. Imagine being connected to a powerful Divine source where life and love and goodness just keeps flowing from that source through us with great energy and force touching others in a significant and meaningful way. We would be a well-spring offering refreshment, encouragement life-giving energy that we have found from a Divine Source whose love and power are an endless bounty. I long to stay closely connected to this Source of All Love and Goodness so that my life might reflect the nature of a river.

But some days I feel like a trickling creek, with feeble movement and minimal effect on anyone. I am lethargic, self-focused, discouraged and withdrawn. I have grown complacent in my connection to the Divine source who is stronger than myself. And so the current of life has ceased pulsing, ceased touching others, ceased making any difference at all. Some days are like that.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have that vibrant river of life throbbing through our life all the time? It can if we really desire that; hunger for that, and are not satisfied with anything less. To seek to have that river of life flowing unhindered through our life. That unstoppable current that identifies us as people who offer the abundant life to others.